The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Leslie D. Griggs (ASN: 0-5320308), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving an opposing force in the Republic of Vietnam on 22 February 1965. As the Senior American Advisor to a Strike Force Unit, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, Lieutenant Griggs was traveling with a convoy when the unit was suddenly ambushed by a vicious Viet Cong force that greatly outnumbered the Strike Fore unit as it approached an area six kilometers east of the Mang Yang Pass in Binh Dinh Province. As the hostile element struck them with mortars, machine gun and small arms fire, the members of the Strike Force jumped from their trucks and took cover in a ditch. To direct the fire of the escorting armed helicopters against the concealed Viet Cong, Lieutenant Griggs bravely left his covered position, exposed himself to the onslaught, and was struck in the arm by a grenade which bounced to the ground causing a fragment wound in his leg. Undaunted by his wounds, he proceeded at once to rally the Strike Force to assault the Viet Cong positions. Inspired by his example, the Strike Force pressed forward about twenty meters until Lieutenant Griggs received a severe neck wound and others were wounded, including an American sergeant. Ignoring his profuse bleeding and multiple wounds, Lieutenant Griggs moved through withering small arms fire and exploding grenades to assist his wounded comrade. After administering first aid to the wounded sergeant and pulling him to a protective position beside the road, he quickly annihilated two Viet Cong who were approaching the fallen soldier. Having used all his ammunition, he dropped his rifle, took a Browning automatic rifle from a dead Strike Force soldier, and killed two more Viet Cong who were crossing the road. Then, while attempting to reorganize his forces, he was shot in the back and fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, the Viet Cong had completely overrun the position and were withdrawing from the ambush site with the Strike Force weapons they had gathered. Despite his critical physical condition, Lieutenant Griggs managed to crawl to a radio which had been hidden from the Viet Cong by the body of the dead operator. Although experiencing extreme difficulty in breathing, he succeeded in directing the fire of the armed helicopters against the withdrawing Viet Cong. When the firing subsided, he guided helicopters into a landing zone to evacuate the wounded and refused aid for himself until the wounded sergeant was placed on board. His indomitable courage, fortitude, and dynamic leadership not only inspired his Vietnamese counterparts but sustained the tide of battle until he fell unconscious from wounds in action. Lieutenant Griggs’ conspicuous gallantry, extraordinary heroic actions, and profound concern for his fellow soldiers are in the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.